Okay, so I gotta talk about finding good Bug-type Pokémon. For the longest time, I kinda just ignored them, you know? Seemed weak, mostly stuff you catch early on and then ditch.
But then I got stuck a few times. Needed something different. So, I started actually trying them out properly, really giving them a fair shake in battles.
Early Game Stuff
I went back to basics first. Spent some time grinding with the ones you find right at the start. Stuff like:
- Butterfree: Yeah, it puts stuff to sleep with Sleep Powder, which is handy early on. Saved me a few times in tough spots. But man, it folds fast if anything looks at it funny. Didn’t last long on my team once things got serious.
- Beedrill: Kinda the same story for me. Hits okay with its poison sting early, maybe gets Twinneedle later which felt cool. But just too fragile. Always felt like a temporary slot filler, something I’d swap out as soon as I caught something tougher.
Honestly, finding something solid in the early routes was tough work. Most just didn’t have the punch or couldn’t take a hit. I remember getting frustrated trying to make them work against stronger trainers.
Mid-Game Picks – Getting Better
This is where things started to look up a bit, made me reconsider. I remember grabbing a Scyther once I could find one. Now that felt different. Super fast, strong attack stat. Looked cool too, which always helps. Still had some annoying weaknesses, especially to Rock types which were everywhere, but it could actually do some real damage. It wasn’t just sitting there waiting to faint.
Then there was Pinsir. Pure Bug type, which was interesting back then. Didn’t have Scyther’s Speed, felt a bit slower, but it felt bulky and strong. If it landed a hit, it really hurt. I used one for a good chunk of a playthrough, did pretty good work against those annoying Psychic types.
Later On – The Real Powerhouses
Okay, this is where I really changed my mind about Bug types. I finally got my hands on some of the later generation ones or those found deeper in the games, sometimes needing specific items or trades.
- Heracross: Man, Bug/Fighting? This thing was a monster when I first used it. Great attack stat. Could learn some really powerful moves like Megahorn and Close Combat. Took down so many difficult opponents for me. Definitely became a keeper, a core member.
- Scizor: Evolving Scyther with that Metal Coat? Genius move by the game designers. Bug/Steel typing is amazing defensively, only weak to Fire really. Still hits hard, especially with Technician-boosted Bullet Punch going first. Became a staple on my teams for a long, long time after I figured out how to get one.
- Volcarona: Bug/Fire? What a wild combo! Special attack through the roof. Quiver Dance makes it terrifying if you give it even one turn to set up. Found this one much later in its game, was a real pain to raise from a Larvesta, but totally worth the effort. It just sweeps unprepared teams.
So yeah, my journey with Bug types went from “meh, skip” to “wow, okay, these guys are serious”. Started thinking they were just early game fodder. Spent some time actually digging around in the tall grass, trying things out in battle, seeing what worked when I was really stuck or just wanted to experiment.
Turns out, like a lot of things in these games, you just gotta find the right ones for the job. Some are still kinda flimsy, sure, designed for the early game. But there are some real tough bugs out there if you look past the first few routes. Finding Pokémon like Heracross and Scizor really changed my whole perspective. Now I actually look forward to seeing what Bug types are available when I start a new game or replay an old one. They can really pull their weight.
